Usha Vance backs books over phones as more schools implement no-cell policies

She chose reading as her summer initiative, Vance told Fox News Digital, after she was inspired by her middle child's interest in reading from watching his older brother. 

"He wanted to read, and he wanted me to teach him to read," she said in an interview. 

"It's wonderful to pick up things that are just a little harder and that require you to focus just a bit more… so later you can focus on what really matters," she said. 

Her comments came during her latest event in her 2025 Summer Reading Challenge. The Cherokee Classical Academy is a "low-tech learning environment" that enforces a strict no cellphones during the school day policy, a school official told Fox News Digital. 

The second lady visited three different classrooms this week, watching lessons on writing and math. She greeted dozens of students along the way. 

Reading is a way to "counteract" the time children spend on electronic devices, she told reporters. 

Seventy-two percent of teachers believe cellphones have had a negative impact on their students' mental health, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 

American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., told Fox News Digital that parents should be aware of, and oversee, their children's screen time. 

Mukkamala said it's important for children to take "intentional breaks from screens" by creating routines sharing reading as an example.

"I built my kids a whole kitchen out of cardboard boxes and recycled materials. I'm building them a dollhouse right now," she said. 

The dollhouse will be similar to their own home, she said.